Recovery Of Overpaid Grant - HELP!!!!!

jy168

I am studying at Anglia Ruskin University, in a Computer Science course. Currently in my second year of study.

On 30th September 2010, I recieved a letter from Student Loans Company Limited stating that I need to pay back the overpayment of £1758.00!!

When I was applying for student finance (in February) for the 2009/2010 academic year, I had to provide information on my parents income for the tax year 2008/2009. During that tax year my father and mother were unemployed.

Sometime in April, Student Finance finished assesing me and told me I was eligable for the full grant for my first year in university.

Approximately 2 months into my first year (2009/2010) my father had thankfully got a new well paid job. He immediately had to start paying off the bills (thousands of pounds borrowed from family, household bills, frozen bills such as mortage loans, etc). This meant I still needed the grant money even though he had a job.

But when they found out that my dad had earned alot of money during the tax year 2009/2010 (they found out when I had to re-apply at Student Finance for academic year 2010/2011), they have decided that I didnt need the grant after all so now they are asking for it back?

I have been on the phone with them and they have been very unhelpful. I have spent hours on the phone to people who pretend to know what they are talking about. One person says one thing where the other person says another. I have no idea what is right or wrong and im completely in the dark.

If anyone could advise me on what I should do, that would be grateful. Even though my dad had a job, I was still unable to recieve alot of money and was still dependant on the grant. I feel this is totally unfair on me and has messed up my future financial plans.

If you know there is no way out of this then just tell me, any advice will be grateful.

Thank You.

Indie_Kid

jy168 wrote: »

Approximately 2 months into my first year (2009/2010) my father had thankfully got a new well paid job. He immediately had to start paying off the bills (thousands of pounds borrowed from family, household bills, frozen bills such as mortage loans, etc). This meant I still needed the grant money even though he had a job.

This is irrelevant.

MrsManda

From what I can tell from your post:

You started University in 09/10
Provided information for 08/09 - parents unemployed
Assessed as eligible for full grant
You have now received a letter stating overpayment of grant for 09/10

A few questions:
Why were you assessed on 08/09 income for 09/10?

Did you apply to be assessed on the current tax year due to your parents drop in income?

(You should be assessed on the previous full tax year so for your 09/10 academic year you ought to have been assessed on 07/08 income.)

For your 10/11 have you provided information for 08/09 again?

Taiko

Manda has the right idea with current income. Sounds to me as if you provided the wrong information, and it was subsequently reviewed due to lack of evidence.

That said, if you were current income in 09/10, the 09/10 tax year would also be used for the 10/11 assessment.

jy168

Why were you assessed on 08/09 income for 09/10? - Because they asked for that income information specifically. Although this was one guy on the phone.

Did you apply to be assessed on the current tax year due to your parents drop in income? - Yes I was assessed on the current tax year which was 08/09 at the time.

(You should be assessed on the previous full tax year so for your 09/10 academic year you ought to have been assessed on 07/08 income.) - This has never been told to me or anyone.

For your 10/11 have you provided information for 08/09 again? - No, I have provided for 09/10 because I applied after April in 2010.

This is what student finance asked from us:

Income information (tax year 08/09) - For academic year 09/10. - Recieved full Grant + Full Loan.

Income information (tax year 09/10) - For academic year 10/11. - Recieved Full Loan + Repayment request of grant for last year.

Taiko

Should've been the 9/10 year income for the 9/10 academic year.

jy168

Taiko wrote: »

Should've been the 9/10 year income for the 9/10 academic year.

That is not always the case I think. You may also provide income information of the previous year to be assesed.

Taiko

You're arguing with someone with nearly 5 years experience on assessments, and with in depth knowledge of the regulations?

I've told you exactly how it is. If you want to ignore it, please do, but I won't offer my assistance in getting it resolved for you.

jy168

Taiko wrote: »

You're arguing with someone with nearly 5 years experience on assessments, and with in depth knowledge of the regulations?

I've told you exactly how it is. If you want to ignore it, please do, but I won't offer my assistance in getting it resolved for you.

Dont mean to challenge your knowledge on this. This is what student finance told me i could do.

So according to you student finance should not have even asked for that information. If so, i still dont understand how they still can asses with th information provided even though its not what they needed. They never said anything was wrong with my application and the dates of tax/income year is written clearly in black & white. So based on that I assumed you can provide financial information on the previous year. I will speak to them about it and see what they say.

Thanks everyone for the replies! keep them coming any advice would help me alot.

NewCustomerOnly

SLC keep pestering my daughter (who is already teaching and paying her loan off quite well) with threatening letters saying they have overpaid her during one of the years. She wrote to them to tell them of her 4th yr PGCE and got it no trouble, but apparently it was before that. Now they are threatening court action and she's really worried because she did everything right. She has tried contacting them but can never get through and is starting to panic - advice pleeeeese? Should she just pay up, not attend hearing or is there another action she could try?

amiehall

NewCustomerOnly wrote: »

SLC keep pestering my daughter (who is already teaching and paying her loan off quite well) with threatening letters saying they have overpaid her during one of the years. She wrote to them to tell them of her 4th yr PGCE and got it no trouble, but apparently it was before that. Now they are threatening court action and she's really worried because she did everything right. She has tried contacting them but can never get through and is starting to panic - advice pleeeeese? Should she just pay up, not attend hearing or is there another action she could try?

She should phone them up and suggest a token payment to them. I pay SLC £5 a month standing order on top of normal PAYE contributions to clear an overpayment. They sent a very threatening letter about it but when I rang them up they said if I couldn't pay in full, they would accept a regular payment of anything from £5 a month upwards so that's what I pay them. Not a peep out of them since I started that. Hope this helps ease any worry.